The sargassum fish is a small ambush predator (growing only to 20 cm in length) that gets its common name from the habitat in which it lives – sargassum algae beds that float on the ocean’s surface. The sargassum fish is generally found in tropical and subtropical areas of the world in offshore waters and comes inshore when winds push the sargassum algae towards land. These fish are camouflaged to look like the sargassum seaweed and have fleshy weed-like protuberances that cover their bodies. This [...]
Clapper Rails (Rallus longirostris) nest in salt marshes along the Gulf coast. This particular nest was found in a thick patch of Juncus roemerianus (black needle rush).
Cleistes bifaria grow in open pine flatwoods, shaded praries, and seepy meadows and typically flower from April to May.
-Grows in open flatwoods, savannahs, wet prairies, and wet mowed roadsides -Distinctive basal rosette with two-toned leaves that are dark green above and bright white below -One of the first asters to bloom in the spring
-Grows in bogs, wet pine savannas and flatwoods, boggy roadsides and ditches -Very early bloomer
Two Marbled Godwits were spotted at the Grand Battures. These birds nest in prairie habitats, wet meadows and grassy areas near water. During migration and winter, they are coastal, foraging on mudflats, salt marshes, and estuaries.
Two Yellow Rails were spotted in pine savanna habitat during a recent night survey. These birds are rarely encountered due to their secretive nature. Yellow Rails winter along the Gulf Coast.
Two Short-eared Owls were spotted at the Grand Battures on January 28, 2011
A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was spotted in the northern section of Bayou Heron harassing an osprey (Pandeon haliaetus) that had a fish in it’s talons.
